Artistic activity generates a cultural milieu in which creative industries thrive. In fact, the arts are pivotal to innovation and building a better future

Facebook, the social networking site launched in 2004, has within seven years
surpassed email as the preferred communication method of teenagers,
according to recent statistics. Whether the rise in usage is a permanent
communications revolution or simply an age-specific trend remains to be
seen.

Artists, however, have already risen to the new opportunities it provides:
Roddy Doyle regularly posts “overheard” dialogues featuring two Dublin men
discussing the news of the day over a pint. The number of Facebook users who
“like” these literary exchanges in the Dublin vernacular suggests that Doyle
is reaching a new readership.

As the nation searches for ways to stimulate economic growth and create the
structures of a new society, the arts are well placed to contribute. Their
role in cultural tourism and attracting foreign direct investment has been
acknowledged in recent years. Artistic activity generates a cultural milieu
in which creative industries can thrive. In